Visit Milwaukee Blog

With a nickname like Brew City, in a town made famous by the likes of Schlitz, Blatz, Pabst and Miller, it seems only fitting VISIT Milwaukee serves up a blog dedicated to the one word synonymous with Milwaukee: beer. Milwaukee may not be the king of keg production as it once was, but it dares any other city to rival its beer-related fun. From bowling to baseball, fish fries to festivals, Milwaukeeans know how to say CHEERS TO MILWAUKEE!

Where better to begin than in a stadium named after beer that hosts a baseball team named the Brewers with a capacity to hold more than 46,000 cheering fans: Miller Park.

Attending a game at Miller Park doesn’t mean being fashionably late in the third inning. A Brewers game-day experience starts several hours before game time with a Miller Park tour, which covers over half a mile of behind-the-scenes fun. For a mere $10, you get to stroll like royalty through the bowels of the stadium to places like the visitors’ clubhouse and dugout, a luxury suite, the press box and the Gehl Club, an upscale, 9,000-square-foot mega-suite. This tour leaves little to chance, but also leaves you thirsting for more baseball…and a beer or two.

As chance would have it, you exit the stadium to tailgating heaven. Miller Park’s lots, which open three hours before each game, boast 12,600 spots and they’re all perfect once you set up the grill, start the coals and open your favorite beer. Rain or shine, Brewers fans set up shop and partake in a treasured pastime. Our game-day weather included rain and shine, producing an awesome rainbow that seemed to originate from inside Miller Park – a sure sign the Brew Crew was going to be golden that night.

After the last brat is claimed and the grill’s fire is reduced to a smolder, it’s time to head in. On the way, take a stroll past the Brewers Walk of Fame located on the plaza area on the northwest side of the stadium. Starting near the statues of Robin Yount and Henry Aaron, each inductee is honored with a granite-shaped home plate set in the ground – the perfect spot for a few snapshots.

Once you’re inside and past the concourse, fresh Miller Lite in hand, you’ll head to the seating area and gaze out on the plush green field. But you’ll realize the real star is the massive retractable roof - North America's only fan-shaped convertible variety - which can open and close in less than 10 minutes. A modern engineering marvel, the roof ensures EVERY scheduled baseball game is played – rain or shin…and sometimes sleet.

On our fateful night, the Brewers found their lucky charm in the home run ball, banging out three rainbow-arching solo shots to beat the Reds 3-2. Many a beer was raised to their win. And to Milwaukee.

I’m not disputing the rush that comes with being able to button a size-2 pair of jeans and continue normal breathing. But what’s life without a treat now and then? Good behavior, rewarded in moderation, never hurt anybody.

That’s exactly what I remind myself when I’m THIS CLOSE to purchasing the entire stock of cake bites at C. Adam’s Bakery in the Milwaukee Public Market. These are amazing, decadent and indulgent – I’m partial to the Red Velvet variety – and small enough to qualify as “guilt-free.”

C. Adam’s is one of several vendors at the Milwaukee Public Market that do their best to satisfy my inner foodie. The Market brings gourmet, specialty and organic food to Milwaukee’s historic Third Ward, a neighborhood of former turn-of-the century warehouses turned into upscale lofts, trendy boutiques, and eclectic art galleries. The Market is cool because it’s a modern version of the area’s old Commission Row, a street lined with historic buildings framed by metal awnings where farmers used to bring their produce to sell to local distributors. While the farmers are long gone, the street remains, now turned into a strand of sidewalk cafes and some of my favorite places in the city to relax over a glass of wine or a pint of what made Milwaukee famous.

Even Frommers.com is impressed! They rated the Milwaukee Public Market as one of the top ten public markets in the U.S. in 2011 – high praise, indeed!

What else is worth busting my buttons for at the Market? Just about everything. I’m a huge fan of the home-made, hand-dipped chocolates and frozen custard at Kehr’s Candies (that’s right, I’ve got a sweet tooth. What’s it to you?)

When I can’t get to the East Coast I can walk three blocks from my office to the Market and get a fresh lobster dinner at St. Paul Fish Company or catch it raw at Sushi-A-Go-Go. On the days my favorite pants don’t fit I atone at The Green Kitchen with a fresh, hand-tossed salad made to order. When I’ve had enough salad to fit into the afore-mentioned pants, I can splurge with a visit to the West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shop or Taste of Wisconsin. Two hundred + varieties of cheese… yum.

See? No matter what your scale, pocket-book or conscience is telling you, there’s something for everyone.

You’ll find custom-blended spices courtesy of The Spice House, seven, delicious, made-from-scratch soups daily at The Soup & Stock Market, flavors of the Middle East at Aladdin, amazing salads, sandwiches and meats at Rupena’s Fine Foods and the kind of bread that would make a believer out of Dr. Atkins at Breadsmith.

For the tired, there is java from Cedarburg Coffee Roastery. For the celebratory, there is Margarita Paradise, Thief Wine Shop & Bar and Buffalo Water Beer Bar. And if you’re just looking to make someone happy, Locker’s at the Market is the place to buy a stand-out bouquet or a single, lovely blossom.

The Market has a great din, with a lot of color, energy and bustle, which spills onto the streets every Saturday June through October when an outdoor Farmer’s Market is added to the mix. If you fancy yourself a chef, you need to check out the cooking classes at Madame Kuony’s Kitchen on the Market’s upper level. Whether you’re more likely to star in Worst Cooks in America, Top Chef or somewhere in between, you’ll have a blast and come home with a whole new set of impressive kitchen skills!

VISIT Milwaukee is an award-winning convention & visitors bureau providing information on premier events, hotel accommodations, transportation, restaurants and fun things to do in Milwaukee, Wisconsin! Experience the warm hospitality of Milwaukee's local businesses. We hope to see you soon!